TW: ab*rtion, s*icide

Sierra Elberg was the only princess of the Empire—the most brilliant jewel and the most fragrant and beautiful flower. With her honey colored blonde hair, ruby-red eyes, white skin as smooth as marble and slim figure, she was the most noble and precious jewel that nobody could touch.

A flower that blooms and shines alone on a distant cliff. There was nobody who didn’t adore her, and no one thought that they could break down her walls.

However, the only person who managed to do this and succeeded in making Sierra his woman, was the Emperor’s illegitimate son with the power of the ‘key’.

He shed a lot of blood, killed all his brothers and eventually took the throne.

Claude Rispenseaux.

***

Sierra was unwanted since she was born.

After the death of his first wife who gave birth to an heir, the Duke of Elberg took in a woman ten years younger than him. Stella of Lugian, a happy and beautiful girl, lost everything and became the Duchess of Elberg.

A mother who hated her daughter, and an indifferent father. In the midst of that, Sierra desperately tried to survive.

Eventually, she was the first to discover the body of her mother who hanged herself.

***

Sierra grew up beautifully and resembled Stella, who was the most beautiful woman in the Empire. Her life, however, belonged to Elberg.

The most beautiful jewel, the most fragrant flower. A girl who must not express her feelings, and whose responsibility was only to find a powerful husband to take the title of the Duke.

At the age of eighteen, she met Claude at the New Year’s ball. A man who was just like her.

“I heard that Marquis Claude Rispenseaux was attending this New Year’s ball?”

“No way. Is that His Majesty’s illegitimate son? Oh, my God. Aren’t the two princes attending as well?”

“But he’s so handsome, the ladies are chasing after him with no pride.”

Listening to the voices of the ladies who burst into ridicule, Sierra was curious about the main character of the rumor, ‘The Marquis is Rispenseaux’.

Avoiding the disastrous conversation, she left the ballroom. She hid under a snow covered evergreen tree and took a deep breath of the cold air before exhaling.

Then, Claude found her. His eyes opened wide for a moment and then smiled softly.

“I didn’t know there were more sailors, Princess Elberg.”

Past her hazy vision, his silver hair like the night’s fog, and his blue eyes that seemed to reflect her image were shining through.

Sierra recognised the man with hair as white as moonlight immediately. The illegitimate son of the Emperor who was the reason for the rumors at the ball. Claude Rispenseaux.

“…I won’t ask why you’re crying.”

Claude, the illegitimate child of the Emperor; and Sierra, the Duke’s pretty doll.

Their circumstances were no different, and Sierra looked at Claude without saying a word. There was a lot of ridicule that followed the lineage of the glorious Emperor.

They made Claude live as if he, the Marquis of Rispenseaux, was dead, akin to how Sierra lived breathlessly in Elberg.

Claude, with a complicated expression on his face, brushed her cheek.

“Despite tradition… If I tell you I just want to spend time with you, would you believe me?”

There was a tradition like that. The old tradition that men can kiss women standing under an evergreen tree. It was the first time Sierra had seen such an unconcerned attitude as he reduced the distance between them.

“…”

His eyes seemed to swallow the moonlight and Sierra was stuck in his blue gaze.

‘I…’

Was it because of the moonlight’s magic or because of him?

‘Just for today… I want to do what I want.’

Sierra’s heart was beating so fast, and instead of replying, she wrapped her arms around Caulde’s neck.

Afterwards, she thought that if she hadn’t wondered about him—if she hadn’t met Claude under that snow covered evergreen tree—would her life have been different?

***

To sum up their relationship, it was a wild fire-like affection. An obsession. A twisted relationship that was indescribable to others; It was a fairly long relationship. The two never introduced each other as lovers to anyone.

Fearing that they would be abandoned by the Duke, Claude thought that he was not good enough for the princess. And yet, neither of them could let go of their relationship because it allowed them to breathe.

A relationship where they couldn’t say they loved each other, but they still held hands.

It was Damian Hesperia, the emperor’s eldest son and the first prince, who turned their relationship upside down.

“The crown prince asked for your hand.”

Rarely amused, the Duke of Elberg smiled brightly at his daughter.

“You’re finally paying off your debts.”

“Father, I…”

“Your father believes in you, Sien.”

The Duke said, glancing at her sad face. It was time for him to sell Sierra for the most expensive price.

And that night, she visited Claude impulsively.

“I’m engaged to the first prince.”

A very short silence. Claude wouldn’t even look at Sierra.

And to him, she said:

“…Claude, spend the night with me.”

“Sien.”

“After that, I’ll completely forget you. I promise.”

Claude’s smile was as cold as the moon when he heard her words. He hugged her with indescribable eyes.

That night, she spent it in the Rispenseaux mansion. With her tormented spirit, she fell into his hot arms and, for a moment, wished that the night would never end.

***

Sierra became Damien’s official fiancé. The Duke of Elberg, almost as if he had become the first prince himself, flaunted it with pride.

Three months later, she found out she was pregnant. The child’s father, of course, was Claude, but she already had a fiancé.

There was only one choice to make. Without telling anyone, she took the pills and killed the child in her stomach.

***

A year after they spent the night together, Claude started a rebellion. During the rebellion, not only the Emperor and his aids, but also the first prince were killed.

Claude rose to the throne with the help of Empress Gretchen, who supported his rebellion against the Imperial family, and the temple who chose the one with the power of the ‘key’.

The first prince’s fiancé became Claude’s Empress.

With the system on fire, the Empire was collapsing due to treason, and Sierra was met with a blood-soaked Claude on the day of her engagement.

“Sien, I’m here to get you.”

Even with his blood stained face, his smile was as innocent as a little boy’s.

“Nobody will come between us now.”

And she couldn’t erase Claude’s smirk from her mind until the brink of their ruin.

***

On a dark night, when even the moon was hiding, Sierra grabbed a knife and aimed it at Claude’s heart. With shaky hands, she prepared herself to take Claude’s life.

Claude stared at her with his endearing eyes. The Empress who decided to assassinate the Emperor—the Empress’s rebellion. Claude looked at her kindly, even when Sierra was standing in front of him with a knife.

“It’s not your fault. Thank you for staying with me.”

Everything happened in a flash. Claude pulled out a dagger he had prepared in advance. It had a much sharper edge than Sierra’s knife.

He pointed it at his own throat and whispered tenderly.

“You killed me, and you cooperated perfectly with them. So…”

Even his movements when he sliced his throat were elegant and without hesitation. Claude continued to smile softly.

“Forget me and be happy. Okay, Sien?”

“Claude!!!”

Blood splattered like a fountain and in an instant, he was covered with a red veil. The hot blood cooled quickly and Claude, who had not lost his smile, closed his eyes tightly.

“I will love you… forever.”

Sierra had thought that Claude was thinking of keeping her locked up. But that wasn’t the case. He already knew everything she was planning to do from the start.

Claude had one hand still holding onto the dagger, and the other holding hers. His eyes were full of sincerity that faded a long time ago. Looking at all this, Sierra loved him. She loved him. Even if she tried to forget about him and be happy… How could she forget him?

Hell isn’t where I’m with you, hell is when you’re gone. My Claude, I love you…

“Aaaah!!!!”

Sierra ripped her hair out, tears streaming out of her wide eyes. Holding onto Claude’s corpse, she struggled in terrible pain.

“Please, let me make a different choice next time.”

Losing her mind, that was the only thing she prayed for. And the ‘Garden’ accepted the strong prayers for the contractor of the ‘key’. Time began to rewind.